


Thoughts like a minefield

by Builder



Series: Jonestown [9]
Category: Jessica Jones (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Crossover, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Sickfic, relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-02-16 02:28:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18682270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Builder/pseuds/Builder
Summary: “I know,” Jess mumbles.  “It was…nothing.  Just a car, and…nothing important.”“Bullshit.”  Nat renews her grip on Jess’s shoulder, changing to something sweet and comforting instead of a restraint.  “A car?  That’s hardly nothing.”“Shit…” Jess mumbles, forcing her sleepy head to categorize the fading panic into something more coherent.  “Not…not that kind of car.”“Still bullshit.”“Ok,” Jess amends again, trying to see and not see the unobtrusive sedan bouncing on its tires as the doors flung open.  “Yes, that kind of car.  But not that kind of…situation.  It was a regular dream.  A stupid one.”





	Thoughts like a minefield

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr @builder051

Jess doesn’t worry so much about nightmares anymore.  She drinks, then she sleeps.  Sometimes she and Nat fuck first, but that isn’t the case tonight.  They take bottles of whiskey into the bedroom, then fall into a collective doze in each other’s arms.   **  
**

Jess should know better than to take such a risk.  The mere fact that she isn’t worried about it knocks the danger up a full half dozen notches, leaving her, and more importantly, Nat, in the invisible line of fire.

It’s a stupid dream, nowhere close to reality.  Some idiots have her cornered in an alley.  One of them swings a crowbar and orders dream-Jess out of the car.  Dream-Jess obliges, then lunges at him, kicking his knees out from under him as she gives him a sharp backhand to the face.  

“What the fuck?” the underling snorts, grabbing Jess’s wrist and shoving back with an elbow between her ribs. But the voice is too high, the stab too accurate to be the work of some low-class car thief.

“Huh?”  Jess fights for consciousness, caught between the images on the backs of her eyelids and the darkness of the bedroom.  “Get off me.”

“You get off me.”  Nat twists Jess’s arm behind her back, gripping her firmly, but not hard.

“Oh.”  The truth of the situation seeps in between the cracks, then floods through Jess’s sleepy brain.  It pulls a wave of sick guilt up from her stomach, and she nearly heaves over the edge of the bed.  “Fuck.  I’m sorry.  Fuck.”

“Hey, shh.”  Nat switches the hold to one-handed and pats Jess’s shoulder with the other.  She lifts her hair and blows a cool breeze on the back of Jess’s overheated neck.  “Don’t worry about it.”

“No, I…”  Jess clears grogginess and bile from her throat.  “Jesus.  I’m sorry.”

“What was it?” Nat asks.  “If you want to talk, I mean.  You don’t have to.”

“I know,” Jess mumbles.  “It was…nothing.  Just a car, and…nothing important.”

“Bullshit.”  Nat renews her grip on Jess’s shoulder, changing to something sweet and comforting instead of a restraint.  “A car?  That’s hardly nothing.”

“Shit…” Jess mumbles, forcing her sleepy head to categorize the fading panic into something more coherent.  “Not…not that kind of car.”

“Still bullshit.”

“Ok,” Jess amends again, trying to see and not see the unobtrusive sedan bouncing on its tires as the doors flung open.  “Yes, that kind of car.  But not that kind of…situation.  It was a regular dream.  A stupid one.”

“Tell me,” Nat orders, gently petting Jess’s hair.  “Just get it out of your head.”

“I was getting carjacked?”  It sounds all the stupider now, especially since something like that would probably never happen.  Jess wouldn’t let it get that far; she’d take out the would-be thieves with a single hit.  Hell, Nat would probably shoot them from across the street before they even got in the car.

“Really? It wasn’t…something else?”  Nat dances around the land mine.

“Nope.”  Jess exhales and swallows.  She should feel better, now that she’s spilling the truth.  But she’s still clammy with guilt and shame.  “I’m…really sorry I hit you.”

“You didn’t,” Nat murmurs, though Jess can tell it’s a lie.  She didn’t hit Nat hard, but she can still sense the ghost of soft cheek against the backs of her knuckles.

“Did so.”

“Ok, fine,” Nat acquiesces.  “You did.  But I deserved it.  I grabbed you.”

“Didn’t.”

“Stop it.”  Nat lets go of Jess’s arm and reaches for her chin instead, pulling her head to look over the bony crest of her shoulder.  “Look at me.”

Jess looks.

“You squirmed.  I spooked.  You hit.”

Jess opens her mouth, but Nat keeps going.  “I deserved it, and I’m fine.  I just want to make sure you’re fine.”

“I…”  Jess swallows again.  “Yeah.  I’m ok.”

“Promise?”

Jess shoves herself over a few inches so she can burrow into Nat’s chest.  “Yeah.  Promise.”

“And wake me up next time?” Nat hazards, lowering her chin to the top of Jess’s head.

“Mm, that might be too much.”

“Figures.”  Jess practically hears Nat’s sly grin.  “But it was worth a shot.”

“…I guess.”

“I’ll tame you one of these days, Jessica Jones,” Nat whispers.  “And that’s a promise.”


End file.
